Week Five Guide: Games to Watch

Welcome to Week Five of the College Football Season.

The Hawkeyes have a big one this week in Iowa City, as they welcome the 11th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday afternoon. While that game is certainly one of the biggest of the weekend, there’s plenty more in the way of good college football set to be played across the country. If you are someone who sets up 2-3 TVs, like me, that means watching several games at a time. We’ve got you covered with what to watch. Once again, let’s skip an extended intro and just get into the games. HawkeyeReport breaks down the top games to watch during week five of the college football season.

***All betting odds/lines are provided by Bet MGM***

Must Watch Game of the Week: #6 Oregon (4-0) at #3 Penn State (3-0)

Game Info: Saturday, September 27th – 6:30pm CT – NBC Line: Penn State -3.5

There’s no reason good enough for missing this game. Ducks, Nittany Lions, White Out. This is the biggest game of the season to this point. It’s not crazy to think that this could be the first of two, dare I say three meetings this season? A rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship game, neither side has been tested through the early part of the season. Penn State played a very poor non-conference slate, outscoring opponents 132-17, but I don’t think many are wondering how good they are. They’ve got a veteran quarterback, fantastic running backs, a strong offensive line and a good defense. Meanwhile, the Ducks have been a bulldozer, averaging 50.8 points per game, including a 69-3 win over Oklahoma State. Quarterback Dante Moore has answered all the preseason questions so far, with 11 touchdowns to one interception. The winner of this game will have a claim at the #1 spot in the AP Poll.

Best Weekday Game: #24 TCU (3-0) at Arizona State (3-1)

Game Info: Friday, September 26th – 8:00pm CT – FOX Line: ASU -2.5

With as many contenders as there are in the Big 12, every single week is going to provide a matchup or two that will have big implications in the standings. The Horned Frogs didn’t get much preseason talk, but they’ve inserted themselves into the discussion, with quarterback Josh Hoover throwing for 1,000 yards in three games, including 379 yards and five touchdowns against SMU last week. The Sun Devils have bounced back from their lost at Miss State and picked up a huge road win at Baylor on a game-winning field goal from Jesus Gomez. This week is another opportunity for Sam Leavitt and Co. to show they’re still a top team in the Big 12.

Best 11:00am Game: #21 USC (4-0) at #23 Illinois (3-1)

Game Info: Saturday, September 27th – 11:00am CT – FOX Line: USC -6.5

A rematch of the 2008 Rose Bowl, the Trojans and Illini meet for the first time as Big Ten foes. USC enters with an undefeated 4-0 record, averaging 52.5 points per game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown for over 1,200 yards and has not turned it over yet, while receiver Makai Lemon already has 24 catches and nearly 500 yards. They’ll be going up against an Illinois team that will be trying to regroup and put a 63-10 loss to Indiana behind them. This is a huge game for Brett Bielema’s squad, as they also have Ohio State in a couple of weeks and an 0-2 Big Ten start would be a disaster. Meanwhile, a road win for USC would vault them up the rankings.

Best 2:30pm Game: #4 LSU (4-0) at #13 Ole Miss (4-0)

Game Info: Saturday, September 27th – 2:30pm CT – ABC Line: Ole Miss -1.5

It’s not very often that #4 travels to #13 and it’s considered the third biggest game of the week, but here we are. It is the biggest game in the mid-afternoon slate, with the winner taking a 5-0 record into a bye week next week. There’s no doubt that LSU is a top team, with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a defense that is allowing 9.3 points per game. However, their “marquee wins” over Clemson and Florida no longer look that great and they are averaging just 20.0 points per game against FBS opponents. On the other hand, Ole Miss impressed last week, blasting Tulane 45-10 with Ferris State transfer Trinidad Chambliss at quarterback. They are averaging 44.8 points per game, but it is worth noting the defense has given up 58 points in two SEC games, allowing 6.23 yards per play. The home team has covered in 11 of the last 12 in this series and Ole Miss is favored.

Best After Dark Game: #25 BYU (3-0) at Colorado (2-2)

Game Info: Saturday, September 27th – 9:15pm CT – ESPN Line: BYU -6.5

Close out your week five viewing with a Big 12 matchup. After spending the first four weeks as the first team out, the Cougars have finally broken into the AP Poll, sitting at #25 this week. They’ve handled business, outscoring opponents 130-16, including a 34-13 win at East Carolina last week. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has been good after Jake Retzlaff unexpectedly left for Tulane, but this will be his toughest test to this point. Colorado is off to a 2-2 start, including a 36-20 loss at Houston, but that was without Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter at quarterback. They bounced back with a win over Wyoming last week, but their defense has given up 31.5 points per game in two games against Power 4 opponents.

Most Underrated Game of the Week: Arizona (3-0) at #14 Iowa State (4-0)

Game Info: Saturday, September 27th – 6:00pm CT – ESPN Line: ISU -6.5

This is the first of three games on my list that give off vibes of a potentially sneaky test for a ranked team against an unranked team. There’s no doubt that Iowa State is a good team, with a solid win over Iowa on their resume, but their win over Kansas State has lost all meaning, while Arkansas State lost to Kennesaw State last week. Still, Rocco Becht is a top 15-20 quarterback in college football and then defense is allowing 12.0 points per game over the last three games. As for Arizona, they were just 4-8 last season, but are off to a 3-0 start, with a win over Kansas State. Quarterback Noah Fifita is a veteran passer, while the Wildcats defense has five interceptions already. This game intrigues me and it’s a chance for both sides to prove themselves.

Other Games to Watch

#8 Florida State (3-0) at Virginia (3-1) (+7) (Friday – 6:00pm CT – ESPN)

A trap game for the ‘Noles in Charlottesville on Friday night? Florida State shocked the college football world in week one with an upset win over Alabama, but now it’s week five and time to see them play another team with a pulse. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos has thrown just 38 passes over three games, with the offense averaging 7.3 yards per carry. As for Virginia, their offense is humming along, averaging 45.5 points per game, with North Texas transfer Chandler Morris at quarterback. Florida State has #2 Miami FL coming to Doak Campbell next weekend, so there’s a chance they could get caught looking ahead a bit.

#1 Ohio State (3-0) at Washington (3-0) (+8.5) (Saturday – 2:30pm CT – CBS)

This is another one that has some interest from a sneaky road test standpoint. The Buckeyes are the #1 team in the AP Poll, but their win over Texas doesn’t look as sharp as we thought it might, and they followed it up with a couple of boring wins. Meanwhile, the Huskies have been solid in the passing game with sophomore quarterback Demond Williams, while back Jonah Coleman already has nine touchdowns. A trip out west is far from easy and Husky Stadium, at its best, is an incredibly tough place to play, especially for quarterback Julian Sayin who has yet to play in that type of environment.

Auburn (3-1) at #9 Texas A&M (3-0) (-6.5) (Saturday – 2:30pm CT – ESPN)

This certainly isn’t the biggest SEC game of the weekend, but it’s still an intriguing one, as Texas A&M is hoping this is the year they make a CFP appearance. If they want to do that, this is a game that they have to be able to win. The Aggies come in off of a bye, with a 3-0 record, including a 41-40 road win over Notre Dame. Quarterback Marcel Reed is on track to blow away his ’24 numbers, which raises the Aggies ceiling. As for Auburn, they beat Baylor in the opener and started 3-0, but quarterback Jackson Arnold was sacked nine times in their 24-17 loss to Oklahoma. A&M has lost three of their last four when ranked inside the top ten, with that lone win coming against Sam Houston State in the ’22 season opener. Auburn ended the Aggies CFP hopes last with a 4OT win at Jordan-Hare.

#17 Alabama (2-1) at #5 Georgia (3-0) (-3) (Saturday – 6:30pm CT – ABC)

A huge road game for Alabama, their playoff could be in major trouble if they go down this week, as they still have five ranked teams left on the schedule. After a loss in the opener at Florida State, they’ve rebounded with wins over ULM and Wisconsin, but that’s not enough to convince anyone that they’re a playoff contender. As for Georgia, they’re coming off of a bye week after picking up a huge 44-41 overtime road win over Tennessee. A couple of interesting stats regarding the Bulldogs, Gunnar Stockton has completed over 70% of passes, but they’re only averaging 4.6 yards per rush, while the defense has tallied just four sacks. This is the first time Alabama has visited Sanford Stadium since 2015.

Rest of the Week Five Big Ten Schedule

• Rutgers (3-1) at Minnesota (2-1) (-5.5) (Saturday – 11:00am CT – BTN)
• #11 Indiana (4-0) at Iowa (3-1) (+7.5) (Saturday – 2:30pm CT – Peacock)
• UCLA (0-3) at Northwestern (1-2) (-6.5) (Saturday – 2:30pm CT – BTN)